IRGC says 'the war is not over'; Yemen's Houthis join chorus, vowing to defend 'legitimate rights'

An anti-American billboard in downtown Tehran, Iran [EPA]
An anti-American billboard in downtown Tehran, Iran [EPA]

As leaders of nations involved in Middle East conflicts — including the United States and Israel — gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took a sharply confrontational stance, warning Washington that any renewed attack would "change the landscape of the war."

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi said in a statement released through Iranian media Monday (local time) that "if a re-aggression occurs, we will certainly change the landscape of the war" and that Iran would deploy "new weapons with new capabilities" in combat, according to AP and Reuters.

Mohebi said "the war is not over," making clear Iran had no intention of easing tensions, and added that the country had been preparing for a prolonged conflict.

He also warned that "our attack targets will not necessarily be the same as before" and that "there are targets we have not yet struck."

The remarks came shortly after President Donald Trump raised the prospect of a major strike against Iran.

Speaking to Fox News on Monday (local time), Trump said the question was "when are we going to blow up the whole country" and that Iran "better behave."

At the same time, Trump left open the possibility of meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the General Assembly, saying a meeting was "probably open."

Pezeshkian, who leads the pro-dialogue camp within Iran, is in New York for the General Assembly and is scheduled to address the body Wednesday.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, a key pillar of the Iran-aligned Shiite "Axis of Resistance," added their voice to the anti-Western chorus. The Houthis have been locked in armed conflict with Saudi Arabia and have rapidly tightened their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for oil shipments in the Red Sea.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, in a pre-recorded speech released Monday, demanded that aggressors "stop the aggression and lift the siege," saying "our demands represent the legitimate rights of our people," according to AP.

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz also continued Monday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said an oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the strait, adding that the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call under its own power.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com